The present disclosure relates to speech recognition. The present disclosure also relates to information retrieval systems for executing searches and, more specifically, for executing voice-enabled searches.
Mobile devices that have the ability to browse the Internet have rapidly grown in number. Such growth has opened up application areas for speech and natural language processing technologies. Voice search is one such application where speech technology is making a significant impact by enabling people to access the Internet conveniently from mobile devices. Spoken queries are a natural medium for searching the Mobile Web, especially in the common case where typing on a device keyboard is impractical or inconvenient. Voice search is now recognized as a core feature of many mobile devices, and several related applications have been developed.
Voice-enabled searching, also referred to as voice search, allows individuals to use a voice command or voice query to search the Internet and/or electronic devices. A voice search is a search executed using a spoken query or spoken utterance. Such voice searching typically involves a device or processor converting a spoken utterance into text, such as by converting spoken words, numbers and characters into a text string or textual representation of the spoken utterance. This text string can then be used to complete a search via an Internet search engine, database lookup, or other information retrieval system.
Voice searching can include local voice search or open voice search. Local voice searching typically involves executing a voice-enabled search within a specific domain. Restricting a voice search to a specific domain can result in search results that are very accurate by virtue of the narrowed search domain. For example, a local voice search can include searching a specific directory assistance service such as a residential telephone listing. Open voice searching permits open-domain keyword queries on any information available over a communication network. One example of an open-domain keyword search is searching an Internet search engine. Open voice searching has received increased interest from industry, academia, and individuals, because of the rapid expansion of Web and mobile technology. Voice searching can provide a quick and convenient search option, especially for users of wireless and mobile devices.